The controversial World Cup kicks off on Thursday and President Donald Trump is set to miss their opener23:36, 10 Jun 2026Updated 23:52, 10 Jun 2026United States President Donald Trump is set to miss their World Cup opener on Friday against Paraguay. The 79-year-old, who attended the New York Knicks NBA Finals match with San Antonio Spurs this week, will reportedly perform other duties including walk-throughs for the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ) event taking place on Sunday (June 14).‌The State Department revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend the game and meet Paraguay president Santiago Pena alongside Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. Mauricio Pochettino's side take on the South Americans on Friday in Los Angeles and according to The Athletic, he is set to snub the historic showdown.‌The report states that sources have communicated to the outlet that 47th President of the United States is set to be in the capital on Friday and expected to attend events associated with the UFC, ahead of the White House hosting an event for the mixed martial arts sport.‌Trump's World Cup snub could mark an unusual moment in the competition's history after the state attended their teams' opener in each of the last three tournaments.This summer's World Cup will see itself etched among the contentious and controversial editions of the famous tournament due to the build-up to the tournament.In light of the ticketing fiasco, where fans have felt aggrieved that they have been priced out of the tournament, and the uncertainty leading up to the tournament over Iran's involvement due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, a new controversy has emerged on the week of the competition.‌Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Somalian referee Omar Artan was due to become the first official from the region to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA's final list for the tournament, however he was denied entry into the country.Artan is dubbed one of the best referees from Africa and was named the continent's best male referee last season. The Trump administration ruled that the official was denied entry into the country because of his links to "suspected members of terror organisations".‌FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed reporters on Wednesday and suggested it is "good to chill and relax" regarding the contentious circumstances surrounding the competition.When asked whether he regretted making America one of the host countries, he said: "I don't regret anything. I've been organising events for 30 years between UEFA and FIFA.Article continues below"I'm looking at my colleagues, I'm used to dealing with issues, if there are not big issues, they are small and become big. I'm sure you remember the press conference three and a half years ago, the problems were different, probably bigger and I was feeling that I had to give the boys who were unheard, the global souls or whatever."So there are issues, that is normal for an event of this magnitude, I always hope there will be no issue but it's what we have to deal with, some from America, Canada, Mexico, we deal with them all in the same positive spirit and hopefully we can solve them all. Probably not but we'll still do our best."